The present invention relates to an electrical connector to be attached to a circuit board and a combination connector having the electrical connector.
Patent Reference has disclosed a connector, in which contact portions of terminals are arranged on both sidewall surfaces of a housing that extends laterally on a circuit board. Such a connector is, in many cases, required to be small. Accordingly, in the connector, a dimension between the both sidewall surfaces is required to be small as well as dimensions thereof in a terminal arrangement direction; that is, a longitudinal direction thereof, and in a height direction thereof.
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 3119722
In the connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the contact portions of the terminals are arranged on the both sidewall surfaces of the housing. Further, the connector is attached to the circuit board as a male connector. In the male connector, metal fittings as grounding members are attached to edge wall surfaces of both ends of the housing in the longitudinal direction. The metal fittings are bent in an L-shape from the edge wall surfaces, so that surface portions thereof contact with the circuit board. Thus, the male connector is fixed to the circuit board at the surface contacts.
A female connector is fitted into the male connector. The female connector or a mating connector is provided with a fitting recess portion. In the female connector, contact portions of terminals are arranged on an inner surface of the fitting recess portion. Further, the contact portions of the terminals contact with and are connected to the contact portions of the male connector. In the female connector, a cable is wired to each terminal. The cable is drawn in a direction parallel to the circuit board and perpendicular to one of the sidewall surfaces.
After the female connector is attached to the male connector, the female connector often receives an inadvertent external force at a drawn base portion of the cable that is drawn from the female connector in one direction.
In general, female and male connectors are provided with locking portions, so that after fitting the female and male connectors are not disconnected upon receiving an inadvertent external force. In the connector disclosed in Patent Reference, a locking portion may be provided in, for example, anywhere on a circumference of the housing of the male connector that is attached to the circuit board.
In the male connector disclosed in Patent Reference, when the drawn base portion of the cable of the female connector receives an inadvertent external force, the male connector receives a moment around an axial line that extends in a longitudinal direction thereof on the both sidewall surfaces thereof.
When the locking portions are provided on the both sidewall surfaces of the housing, it is necessary to support the moment over a distance between the both sidewall surfaces with an opposing moment generating a couple force of a product of an arm length and a reaction force at the locking portions, thereby reinforcing the housing at the both sidewall surfaces. Accordingly, when the arm length becomes larger, it is possible to reinforce the housing to a greater extent.
As described above, it is necessary to reduce a size of the connector in every direction. Accordingly, it is difficult to increase the arm length. When the arm length increases, it is necessary to increase a distance between at least the both sidewall surfaces where the locking portions are disposed, thereby increasing a size of the connector. When the connector is arranged on the circuit board, a surrounding area thereof may not be available.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector for a circuit board, in which it is possible to reduce a size thereof while sufficiently securing an opposing moment force functioning as a locking mechanism against an external force.
Further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.